Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: AFONSO DE LIMA XAVIER
Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.STUDENT : AFONSO DE LIMA XAVIER
DATE: 31/10/2024
TIME: 10:00
LOCAL: Sala de informática, hibrido
TITLE:
FEEDING ECOLOGY OF THE LIONFISH (Pterois volitans) IN THE FERNANDO DE NORONHA ARCHIPELAGO, SOUTH ATLANTIC, BRAZIL
KEY WORDS:
Bioinvasion, Invasive species, Stomach contents.
PAGES: 25
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Ecologia
SUMMARY:
The lionfish (Pterois volitans), a species native to the Indo-Pacific, is considered one of the most relevant cases of an invasive predatory fish species, due to its potential to generate ecological, economic and social impacts. Having nocturnal habits, unique predatory strategies and a broad diet, the lionfish consumes large quantities of fish, as well as small invertebrates. Based on this context and seeking to identify the possible impacts that the lionfish can cause in the reef communities of the South Atlantic, we sought to understand the trophic ecology of lionfish captured in the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, based on the analysis of stomach contents. The weight-length relationship methods, the jackknife test 1 to estimate prey richness, the application of the Relative Importance Index (IRI) to know the importance of food items in the diet, as well as the graphical representation of the feeding strategy and the breadth of the trophic niche were used. A total of 217 lionfish were captured and analyzed, with Total Length ranging from 9.0 to 42.7 cm (± 22.2 cm) and Total Weight 3.60 to 940 g (± 202.44 g). Of these, 62 were characterized as females, 36 as males and 119 were individuals of indeterminate sex. The estimated weight-length relationships were isometric for females and males, showing high correlation for both. Regarding diet, 28 food items were identified, including endemic species such as Stegastes pictus, Stegastes rocasensis, Ophioblennius trinitatis and Malacoctenus lianae, which constitute new records for the diet of lionfish in the Atlantic. The Jackknife test 1 suggested that approximately 12 items (prey) could still be found in the diet of P. volitans. According to the IRI values, the lionfish had a mostly piscivorous diet, with fish belonging to 14 families, being the most important category (IRI%=99.31). The secondary and occasionally consumed items were crustaceans (IRI%=0.52). We highlight the presence of synthetic fibers and glitter (N%=2.55, IRI%=0.15). The richness of prey found in the stomachs indicates that P. volitans is a generalist and opportunistic predator, although the graphic method for feeding strategy suggests some specialization in some prey. The trophic niche breadth showed a low value for the lionfish (Bp=0.12), which may be related to the high frequency of some prey in the stomachs. Our results provide unprecedented information on the invasion of the lionfish in the most extreme point of the South Atlantic to date, providing valuable data on the population established in the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and its prey.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 1639893 - CLAUDIO LUIS SANTOS SAMPAIO
Interno(a) - 1219840 - NIDIA NOEMI FABRE
Externo(a) à Instituição - Marcelo Fulgêncio Guedes de Brito - UFS
Externo(a) à Instituição - TOMMASO GIARRIZZO - UFC